Selvage thread tensioning means



p 3, 1964 M. R. FLAMAND 3,147,775

' SELVAGE THREAD TENSIONING MEANS Filed June 19, 1961 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 1I N V EN TOR. :5. MAL/Ric: R. FLRMHND A TTORNE Y Sept. 8, 1964 M. R.FLAMAND 3,147,775

SELVAGE THREAD TENSIONING MEANS Filed June 19, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2EEIE PIP/0R ART U IN V EN TOR. Mn um/ce R. I'ZAMHND A TTORNE Y UnitedStates Patent 3,147,775 SELVAGE THREAD TENSIONING MEANS Maurice R.Flainand, Lonsdale, R.I., assignor to Draper Corporation, Hopedale,Mass., a corporation of Maine Filed June 19, 1961, Ser. No. 117,930 7Claims. (Cl. 13954) This invention pertains to shuttleless looms and,more particularly, to a novel means for controlling the tension of theselvage warp threads.

It is a general object of the invention to hold and bind the severed endof filling yarn at the selvage by means of the selvage warp threadsonly.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a means and methodfor maintaining a predetermined amount of tension on the selvage warpthreads and in particular while weaving a tape selvage which includesthe steps of crossing and false crossings of said threads.

It is a further object of the invention to maintain the selvage warpthreads under a constant tension at all times thereby preventing anyinterference by warp threads with the complete extension of the cut endof filling through the shed, and also preventing false indications bythe center fork tines caused by lack of tension upon the severedfilling.

It is still a further object of the invention to keep the shed of themain warp body open for substantially the entire pick to lessen thepossibilities of the severed end of filling from becoming entangled orwrapping around one or more warp threads as said filling is beingextended therethrough and also to assure positive filling feeling by thecenter fork filling motion.

It is a further and more specific object of the invention to hold andbind the severed end of filling yarn prior to the closing and crossingof the main warp body by a plurality of selvage warp threads which by aseparate means are caused to function under a predetermined amount oftension to clamp and hold said filling end after release by the fillingextending carrier.

Further objects of the invention will become apparent from the followingmore detailed disclosure.

Shuttleless looms of the type towhich the present invention isapplicable have reciprocable filling carriers which draw filling from anoutside source of supply, that is, the filling supply is not carried bya shuttle or the carriers themselves. These carriers are caused toinsert and extend the filling yarn within the warp shed in a manner wellknown to those conversant in the art and it is considered sufficient atthis point to call attention to a number of patents which areillustrative of the' type of loom to which the present inventionpertains. Reference ishereby made to the information disclosed in UnitedStates Patents 2,580,994 and 2,604,123.

In looms of the type described in the above United States patents it iscommon practice to form a twisted or leno selvage at one side of thefabric to bind in the projecting ends of cut filling. This isaccomplished by feeding and shedding two selvage threads by a meanswhich twists them together at each or spaced shed changes to trap andlock the filling yarn therebetween. Immediately adjacent to these twoselvage threads a plurality of additional selvage threads are employedto form a regular selvage or a tape selvage. Although the presentinvention is equally effective on either a regular or a tape selvage,its function primarily is that of producing a tape selvage which in thepast has not been formed with complete satisfaction when weaving withthe main warp shed open for substantially the entire pick, in that theselvage warp threads during shedding would slacken to the extent wherethey had little or no effect on holding and binding the severed end offilling which protrudes from the shed after release by the extendingcarrier. Under conditions of this nature the filling which is extendedunder tension through a warp shed that is caused to remain open has anatural tendency to snap back causing loss of tension on the filling anddisplacement of its cut end.

To produce a satsifactory tape selvage under a condition of this naturenecessitates the crossing and false crossings of the selvage warpthreads and with a means for keeping said threads taut or under tension.When these threads cross, the filling yarn is trapped therebetween;however, at a false crossing after insertion of the first pick in a tapeselvage these threads cross only to the extent of binding and holdingthe cut end of filling yarn until it is beat into the fell of the fabricwhereupon these selvage warp threads immediately reopen for thereception of a second length of filling. These threads then crosscompletely and repeat this process with the next two lengths of fillingand so on to form what is known as a tape selvage. It is during thatperiod of false crossing that the selvage warp threads become slack andfail to properly hold the cut end of filling allowing it to retract orsnap back a short distance into the shed after release by the extendingcarrier resulting many times in a short pick and fabric of an inferiorquality. Additionally, such loss of filling tension and retraction ofthe same frequently result in faulty feeling of the center fork tinesthus stopping the loom unnecessarily.

According to the present invention a novel means of tightening theseselvage threads during the crossing and false crossings of said threadscan now be provided which will bind and hold the projecting ends of cutfilling until they are properly positioned by the beat-up of the lay andlocked in position by the full crossing of the warp body.

This means of tightening the selvage threads includes a horizontallydisposed shaft located at the rear of the loom approximately midwaybetween the whip roll and the loom warp stop motion. It is housed andsupported in such a manner as to place its center line axis at the sameheight as the warp body and at a right angle immediately adjacentthereto. The end of the shaft adjacent to the warp body is provided witha means for assembling a U-shaped member thereto. The tips of thisU-shaped member are formed in the shape of elongated eyelets throughwhich a plurality of selvage warp threads are caused to pass. By a meanswhich will hereinafter be explained in greater detail, this horizontallydisposed rod is caused to oscillate in timed relationship with thecrossings and false crossings of the selvage warp threads at the fell ofthe fabric. Oscillation of this rod thus causes the plurality of selvagewarp threads passing through the eyelets of the U-shaped member tobecome taut to hold and bind the projecting ends of cut filling under apredetermined amount of tension until said filling is prop erlypositioned in the fell of the fabric by beat up of the loom lay. Theamount of tension to which the selvage threads are subjected can bevaried by simply changing the angular setting of the U-shaped member.

The invention will be described hereinafter in greater detail byreference to the accompanying figures of drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a left-hand loomside showingthe invention applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the horizontally disposed rod showing theU-shaped member assembled thereon;

FIG. 3 is a view looking from the rear of a loom, of the rod shown inFIG. 2, showing its means of support, one method employed for assemblingthe U-shaped member and one form of an elongated eyelet through which aplurality of selvage warp threads are caused to pass;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2 but showing the positions theU-shaped member is caused to assume through oscillation of thehorizontally disposed rod;

FIG. is a modified version of the view shown in FIG. 3 illustrating theadaptability of the invention to various widths of fabric produced on agiven size of loom;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation showing the selvage threads and the coursethey follow across the whip roll, stop motion, through their sheddingmeans, the reed and to the fell where the fabric is formed; FIG. 6 alsoillustrates the taut open shed which occurs during insertion of thecarriers, the transfer of filling from one carrier to the other anduntil the extending carrier commences its return travel to extend a cutlength of filling;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to that of FIG. 6 except the selvage warpthreads are shown somewhat slackened during withdrawal of the extendingcarrier, a condition that has been typical of these threads during theformation of a tape selvage Weave;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to that of FIG. 7 except the carrier has beencompletely withdrawn and the slack of the selvage warp threads isdemonstrative of their lack of holding and binding propertiesessentially necessary in the formation of a tape selvage weave whilekeeping the main warp shed open for substantially the entire pickingcycle;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to that of FIG. 6 except with the instantinvention applied thereto;

FIG. 10 is a view similar to that of FIG. 7 except showing the instantinvention and its means of tightening the selvage warp threads duringwithdrawal of the carrier and the false crossing of said threads;

FIG. 11 is a view similar to that of FIG. 8 but illustrating the holdingand binding effectiveness of the tightened selvage warp threads upon theprojecting end of cut filling after release of the same by the fillingextending carner;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of the forward portion of a filling extendingcarrier as it emerges from within the Warp shed showing retraction ofthe filling yarn when attempting to weave a tape selvage without a meansfor binding and holding the projecting end of cut filling;

FIG. 13 is a view similar to that of FIG. 12 except illustrating theproper position to the filling yarn after release by the carrier.

Now referring to the figures of drawing illustrated on Sheet #1, themechanism which comprises a compact unitary device is applied at oneside of the loom being attached thereto as shown in FIG. 1 by beingbolted o1- suitably fixed to one of the loomsides 20. It includes ahorizontally disposed shaft 21 located at the rear of the loomapproximately midway between the whip roll 22 and the loom warp stopmotion indicated generally by numeral 23. It is housed and supported bymeans of a housing bracket 24 bolted to the loomside as at 25 and iscaused to assume a position placing its centerline axis at the sameheight as the warp body 26 and at a right angle immediately adjacentthereto. The end of shaft 21 adjacent to the warp body is provided witha means for assembling thereto a U-shaped member 27 the free ends ofwhich turn outwardly to form its U shape and are fhrther formed at theirfree ends presenting elongated eyelets Z3 and 29 through which aplurality of selvage warp threads are caused to pass.

Shaft 21 is caused to oscillate in timed relationship with the sheddingof the selvage warp threads and receives its means of movement throughan actuating arm 30 assembled on and anchored to the inner end of shaft21 immediately adjacent to the hub portion of housing bracket 24. Toprevent end play of shaft 21, a collar 31 is assembled on and anchoredto the outer end of shaft 21 adjacent the outer hub portion of housingbracket 24. The actuating arm 30 extends in a generally downwardlydirection and terminates in the form of a swivel joint 31' through whichthe end of a connecting rod 32 is caused to pass. The opposite end ofthe connecting rod 32 assembles to the throw of a crank 33 forming theinnermost portion of the hand wheel shaft 34 that is caused to rotatecontinuously during the running of the loom.

The force imparted by the connecting rod 32 against the actuating arm 30thus causing oscillation of rod 21 is controlled by means of acompression spring 35 which seats on a slidable collar 36 that is causedto bear against swivel joint 31' and an adjustable collar 37 which canbe secured at any desired point along the length of the connecting rod32. In operation, spring 35 will yield when the desired amount oftension has been obtained by the selvage Warp threads. That portion ofconnecting rod 32 which passes through and beyond the swivel joint 31 isthreaded and is provided thereon with a threaded nut 38 and lock nut 39assembled against said swivel joint thus assuring positive movement ofarm 30 during actuation thereof.

FIG. 5 shows a modification of the invention illustrated in FIG. 3 inwhich a sleeve 40 assembles where normally shaft 21 is positioned and isadapted to receive therein an elongated rod 4-1 which is provided on itsinner end with a means for assembling thereto the same U-shaped member27 shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4. Rod 41 is slidably adjustable asindicated by the lines in phantom and can be readily adapted toaccommodate any desired width of fabric it may be decided to weave on agiven size of loom.

Although the mechanism generally indicated by the numeral 42 forms nopart of the instant invention, it has been illustrated in FIG. 1 to showits relationship to the invention in the formation of a so-calledtwisted or leno type selvage which is caused to feed a pair, at least,of selvage threads and to shed them as required to produce a selvage ofsaid leno type in addition to the plurality of selvage threads requiredin the formation of a tape selvage weave for which the present inventionprovides a means for tensioning said plurality of selvage threads.

In operation, the filling carriers are caused to insert and extend aloop of filling yarn which will have been severed to a length necessaryto complete a pick. On that side of the loom where the filling isinserted the filling is interwoven with the warp threads to form anormal selvage; however, on the opposite side the cut end of saidfilling projects a short distance outwardly from the fabric itself.

Attempts in the past to form a tape selvage on this edge of the fabrichave not been accomplished with a great deal of success in that sheddingof the selvage warp threads A and B (FIG. 6) in relationship to sheddingof the warp body was such that it was virtually impossible to hold andbind a projecting end of cut filling 44 (FIG. 8) during the falsecrossings of said selvage warp threads, a movement required in producinga tape selvage weave as heretofore disclosed. The instant inventionpermits weaving and the formulation of a tape selvage with the warpharnesses in a so-called open position. During withdrawal of the fillingextending carrier and shedding of the selvage warp threads A and B, saidthreads which would become unduly slack under prior conditions due tothe open harness position, are now caused to tighten or become taut withsufficient pressure to hold and bind the project ing end of cut filling(FIGS. 10 and 11). This condition is accomplished by means of theselvage warp threads passing through the eyelets 28 and 29 of theU-shaped member 27 that is attached to rod 21 which is caused tooscillate in timed relationship with the shedding of the selvage warpthreads. FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 show the various steps of tensioning thesethreads during withdrawal of carrier 43 and the filling yarn 44. Asshown in FIG. 10 oscillation of rod 21 causes the threads to tightenaround the extending carrier at the point of leaving the shed, and FIG.11 shows only the filling 44 remaining in the shed but furthertightening of the threads causing it to be held firmly in place.

In FIG. 11 the selvage harnesses are depicted by numerals 45 and 46 andthe main warp harnesses by numerals 47 and 48. At this point in thepicking cycle the main warp threads C and D are in the process ofclosing their shed opening, but being timed to close later than theselvage threads A and B which are shown holding and binding the fillingthread 44, the main warp threads C and D are open to the extent of beingineffective in assisting to hold and bind said filling thread.

The main warp harnesses and the selvage warp harnesses are caused toreciprocate vertically in a manner well known to those conversant in theart and United States Patent No. 2,924,247 to M. R. Flamand fullydiscloses one means which may be utilized to efiect the verticalreciprocation of the selvage harnesses 45 and 46 and the crossing of theselvage warp threads.

Up to the present time it has been necessary, in order to prevent theend of a pick of filling from being whipped back into the shed as it wasreleased by the extending carrier, to close that shed prior to the timethat the carrier had been withdrawn in order to hold that pick inposition by means of the warp yarns. This is undesirable for a number ofreasons, one of which being the fact that an early closing of the shedsometimes causes a pinching of the filling yarn being inserted againstthe surface of the carrier with a resultant break in that yarn. Thepresent invention now makes it possible to hold the shed open duringsubstantially the entire pick inserting cycle, only the selvage warpthreads being prematurely closed in order to hold the cut end offilling, the main warp body then being closed at its normal time.

While one embodiment and a modification of the invention have beendisclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may becarried out in a number of ways. This invention is, therefore, not to belimited to the precise details described, but is intended to embrace allvariations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of theinvention and the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A method of weaving in a loom adapted to insert filling in the formof picks with at least one cut end which includes the steps of insertingsuch a pick in a shed of warp threads, holding the shed open duringsubstantially the entire pick inserting cycle, holding the pick end byseparate selvage warp threads and then crossing the main warp body.

2. A method of weaving in a loom adapted to insert filling in the formof picks with at least one cut end which includes the steps of insertingsuch a pick in a shed of warp threads, holding the shed open duringsubstantially the entire pick inserting cycle, holding the pick end bycrossing separate selvage warp threads to bind it and then crossing themain warp body.

3. A method as defined in claim 2 wherein the crossing of the selvagewarp threads involves a complete crossing at some picks and a falsecrossing at others.

4. For a loom of the type having means to insert cut ends of fillingwithin sheds formed by warp threads comprising main warp threads andselvage warp threads, harness shedding means for crossing said main warpthreads, separate selvage warp threads, means effective for crossing andfalse crossing said selvage warp threads during open position of saidharness shedding means, further means efiective to tighten said selvagewarp threads during said crossing and false crossing to hold and bindsaid filling therebetween.

5. The mechanism of claim 4 wherein said further means includes opposedeyelets through which said selvage warp threads are adapted to pass.

6. In a loom of the type having means to insert cut ends of filling in awarp shed which includes independently controllable selvage warpthreads, means to effect a crossing of these selvage threads to bind thecut end of a filling pick, other means effective on said selvage warpthreads to tighten them as they are crossed to hold said pick end and afurther means being provided to cause said other means to tighten saidselvage warp threads While said warp shed is open.

7. In a loom having means to insert cutends of filling in a Warp shedwhich includes independently controllable selvage warp threads, means toeifect a crossing of these selvage threads to bind the cut end of afilling pick, other means effective on said selvage warp threads totighten them as they are crossed to hold said pick end and said othermeans being adjustable lengthwise of the loom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,399,880 Moessinger May 7, 1946 2,676,618 Pfarrwaller Apr. 27, 19542,703,587 Allenson Mar. 8, 1955 2,710,631 Flamand June 14, 19552,918,092 Paabo Dec. 22, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 570,301 Great Britain July2, 1945 715,758 Great Britain Sept. 4, 1951 OTHER REFERENCES ImproveYour Fabrics-With the SRRL Loom Attachment, by M. Mayer, Jr., George J.Kyame, and John I. Brown. Reprinted from Textile World, July 1952.

4. FOR A LOOM OF THE TYPE HAVING MEANS TO INSERT CUT ENDS OF FILLINGWITHIN SHEDS FORMED BY WARP THREADS COMPRISING MAIN WARP THREADS ANDSELVAGE WARP THREADS, HARNESS SHEDDING MEANS FOR CROSSING SAID MAIN WARPTHREADS, SEPARATE SELVAGE WARP THREADS, MEANS EFFECTIVE FOR CROSSING ANDFALSE CROSSING SAID SELVAGE WARP THREADS DURING OPEN POSITION OF SAIDHARNESS SHEDDING MEANS, FURTHER MEANS EFFECTIVE TO TIGHTEN SAID SELVAGEWARP THREADS DURING SAID CROSSING AND FALSE CROSSING TO HOLD AND BINDSAID FILLING THEREBETWEEN.